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40 Golden Greats (Album of the Day)
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Cliff Richard and the Shadows stood at the crossroads of popular music in the early 1960s; Richard was in some respects England's answer to Elvis, while his backing band (which had numerous hits in their own right) was an important precursor to The Beatles. Given that musical profile, dominance of the British charts was a foregone conclusion, and after Presley and the Fab Four, Cliff's the top-selling singles artist in U.K. chart history. The 1977 double album 40 GOLDEN GREATS puts that remarkable statistic into perspective, with early rockers like “Move It,” pop favorites like “Please Don't Tease” (which topped the British chart on this day in 1960) and 1976 comeback hit “Devil Woman” still irresistible. Tough as it is to summarize a career as long as that of the still-active Richard, the well-compiled 40 GOLDEN GREATS is the ideal place to start.
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Doubt (Album of the Day)
Monday, July 27, 2015
Jesus Jones arrived on the U.K. music scene in the late 1980s, at an intersection point of alternative guitar rock and dance club techno; if less notorious than their Madchester comrades Happy Mondays, the Wiltshire quintet served up propulsive beats and brilliantly chosen samples that were equally irresistible. Jesus Jones' most famous album is DOUBT, thanks to such tracks as “Real, Real, Real” and fall-of-the-Berlin-Wall anthem “Right Here, Right Now,” which reached No. 2 on the U.S. singles chart on this day in 1991. But frontman Mike Edwards' dozen strong originals offer a lot beyond those familiar hits, from the punky “Trust Me” to the Modern Rock favorite “International Bright Young Thing” to the slightly psychedelic “Who Where Why.” Filled with hooks, energy and inventive spirit, DOUBT is unquestionably Jesus Jones' finest hour.
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The Real Thing (Deluxe Edition) (Album of the Day)
Friday, July 24, 2015
Faith No More's combustible mixture of heavy metal, funk and alternative rock exploded in 1989 with the release of THE REAL THING. The band's third album - but the first to feature the powerhouse line-up of Mike Bordin (drums), Roddy Bottum (keyboards), Bill Gould (bass), Jim Martin (guitars), and Mike Patton (vocals) - peaked at #11 on the charts and was certified platinum. Singles “From Out Of Nowhere,” “Falling To Pieces” and the Top 10 hit “Epic” sounded like nobody else on MTV at the time, and the Deluxe Edition of THE REAL THING, which includes a bonus disc of remixes, B-sides and live recordings, displays the band's talent for pushing the musical envelope even more clearly.
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Saved By The Bell: The Collected Works of Robin Gibb 1968-1970 (Album of the Day)
Thursday, July 23, 2015
Robin Gibb is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one third of the Bee Gees, but there were some breaks in the trio's long career, and Robin made good use of that time, as can be heard on the new SAVED BY THE BELL: THE COLLECTED WORKS OF ROBIN GIBB 1968-1970. Lovingly assembled by producer Andrew Sandoval, the 3-volume set includes an expanded version of Gibb's solo debut ROBIN'S REIGN, the previously unreleased SING SLOWLY SISTERS album and a disc of demos, BBC recordings and other rarities. The melancholy and melodic music recalls the Bee Gees' pre-disco hits (and the lush arrangements of the band's ODESSA), with Robin's tremulous voice unmistakable throughout. If you're a fan of baroque pop, SAVED BY THE BELL is sure to ring your bell.
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Harlem Romance: The Love Collection (Album of the Day)
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Harlem-born Keith Sweat once worked as a brokerage assistant at the New York Stock Exchange, but he didn't strike it rich until he quit his day job to pursue his love of music. Among the leading lights of New Jack Swing, the performer's 1987 Elektra debut sold 3 million copies; his next four albums for the label cemented his reputation as a top R&B hitmaker – and a master of seductive slow jams. The 15 songs on HARLEM ROMANCE: THE LOVE COLLECTION mix smash singles including “Make It Last Forever” and the Top 10 “I’ll Give All My Love To You” with steamy album sides like “Come Into My Bedroom” as well as the Levert.Sweat.Gill favorite “My Body.” Keith Sweat celebrates a birthday today, and in his honor, we'll turn down the lights and turn up HARLEM ROMANCE.
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Photographs & Memories - His Greatest Hits (Album of the Day)
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Jim Croce was a workingman's singer-songwriter, who loved to entertain audiences with humorous character sketches as well as introspective ballads. If he's less well-known than contemporaries James Taylor or Joni Mitchell, that's likely due to the brevity of Croce's career – he was killed in a plane crash in Louisiana less than two years after his commercial breakthrough. But to judge from the posthumous PHOTOGRAPHS & MEMORIES – HIS GREATEST HITS, his talents were second to none. The platinum-certified collection's 14 songs include all of Croce's Top 40 singles, including “You Don't Mess Around With Jim,” “Time In A Bottle” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” which topped the U.S. chart on this day in 1973. Warm, thoughtful and sure to bring a smile to your face, PHOTOGRAPHS & MEMORIES captures a gifted performer at his very best.
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The Atlantic Studio Album Collection (Album of the Day)
Friday, July 17, 2015
John Coltrane was, in the words of a Rhino boxed set from years back, a “heavyweight champion” of jazz; the saxophonist's inspiring journey from post-war bop to free jazz earned him veneration in the African Orthodox Church and a special Pulitzer Prize in 2007 among other accolades. A critical juncture in that journey was at New York's Atlantic Records, where Trane released his first album devoted entirely to original compositions in 1960. Along with GIANT STEPS, he made COLTRANE JAZZ, MY FAVORITE THINGS and OLE COLTRANE during his two years with the label; after his departure, Atlantic issued three additional sets from session recordings and the Milt Jackson collaboration BAGS & TRANE. All eight of these are included in THE ATLANTIC STUDIO ALBUM COLLECTION, a worthy memorial to John Coltrane, who died from liver cancer on this day in 1967.
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Royal Albert Hall London May 2-3-5-6 (Album of the Day)
Thursday, July 16, 2015
On this day in 1966, Ginger Baker, Jack Bruce and Eric Clapton joined forces as Cream; though only together for a couple of years, the group left a lasting legacy. The trio also had a remarkable coda to their career – more than 35 years after their farewell gig, they reunited at the same venue for a sold-out series of concerts. The multi-platinum ROYAL ALBERT HALL LONDON MAY 2-3-5-6, 2005 includes such signature songs as “I'm So Glad,” “Badge,” “Spoonful,” “White Room” and “Sunshine Of Your Love” and shows the “supergroup” label to be entirely deserved. Despite the many years apart, the musical chemistry is obvious on these 19 tracks, and one of rock's unlikeliest reunions becomes one of its most powerful on ROYAL ALBERT HALL LONDON MAY 2-3-5-6, 2005.
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Aoxomoxoa (Album of the Day)
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
From Rick Griffin's distinctive cover art to AOXOMOXOA, it was clear that the third Grateful Dead album was a strange trip (though not a long one; only two of the eight songs broke the 5-minute mark). Cut on home territory far from the prying eyes of Warner Bros. staffers, the 1969 release captures the San Francisco band at their most experimental on the epic “What's Become Of The Baby,” though the album also hinted at the traditional acoustic sounds the Dead would soon explore in the folk-based “Dupree's Diamond Blues.” The set marks the emergence of lyricist Robert Hunter as Jerry Garcia's primary songwriting partner, and their “St. Stephen” and “China Cat Sunflower” would become concert staples. The latter song kicked off the final Grateful Dead show in Chicago this month; as we bid fare thee well to the legendary group, we'll give AOXOMOXOA one more spin...
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Freedom Of Choice [Deluxe Remastered Edition] (Album of the Day)
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Do you want freedom of choice or from choice? Thirty-five years after they posed that question in its title track, Devo's third studio album remains subversive and infernally catchy. The dozen originals on FREEDOM OF CHOICE are the most accessible the Ohio spudboys ever wrote, elevating the synth-pop component of their sound on such favorites as “Girl U Want,” “Gates Of Steel” and hit single “Whip It.” The Deluxe Remastered Edition of the band's commercial breakthrough adds the 6-track DEV-O LIVE mini-album, cut at an August 1980 San Francisco tour date, as a bonus. Devo guitarist and keyboardist Bob Casale was born on this day in 1952, and we'll mark the occasion by donning red energy dome hats and giving FREEDOM OF CHOICE another spin.
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